SCHOOL OF LITERARY AND PERFORMING ARTS
Blue Line Duo
Justin and Cassie Bunting
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 | Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall
PROGRAM
Libertango, Eric Sammut (b. 1968)
Variations on Marimba (2002)
Fe Viva (2024)
Ivan Trevino (b. 1983)
world premiere, commissioned by Blue Line Duo
Etudes for Piano (1994) Philip Glass (b. 1937)
5 arr. Blue Line Duo
2
Ancient Rudimental Suite
Three Camps traditional
Downfall of Paris traditional
Ornate Wobbegong
Susan K. Powell (b. 1971)
Dance of Water (2022)
Justin Bunting (b. 1986)
Catching Shadows (2013) Ivan Trevino (b. 1983)
PROGRAM NOTES
Libertango is an original composition by Eric Sammut in the style of the piece of the same name by Argentine tango master Astor Piazzolla. showcases his musicianship. The piece utilizes varied marimba techniques that portray both Afro-Latin and other Africanderived characteristics, displaying the versatility of the marimba. For this reason, we have included a cajón, an Afro-Latin instrument in the shape of a wooden crate, in our arrangement of this work.
Fe Viva is a piece for two singing marimbists by Ivan Trevino and is the result of a consortium led by Blue Line Duo. We are so proud to have a piece by Ivan, who is a great friend and incredible musician, to call our own. About this piece, he writes, “ The text is based on a bible verse that my family would always recite growing up. Matthew 17:20. I'm not religious in a traditional sense, but this little verse has always stuck with me. This piece is special to me; it's joyful and peaceful and dancy and poppy and all of the things!
Si tu vieras fe como un grano de mostaza
Esa montaña se movera. Tu le dirias a la montaña muevete, se movera. Si tu vieras fe como un grano de mostaza, eso lo dice el Señor.
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. - Matthew 17:20 (NLT)
The original drum rudiments found their way from Switzerland to France, then to England, and it was during the American Revolution that they were frst introduced in the United States. Shortly thereafter, a number of publications using these rudiments appeared. This American Rudimental Suite , presented today without pause, includes two traditional and one modern drum beating for snare drum and bass drum. “The Three Camps,” sometimes referred to as “Points of War,”was inherited from the British Army by the Continental Army, and was a staple of the drumming repertoire during the time of the American Revolution and served as the reveille call. “Downfall of Paris” was played as a Tattoo during the American Civil War, signaling bedtime and "lights out" in a military camp. “Ornate Wobbegong” is an original solo composed by Susan Powell, Professor of Percussion at The Ohio State University.
Etudes for Piano is a set of twenty etudes composed between the years of 1992-2012. Etudes #1-5 were composed for Dennis Russell Davies on the occasion of his 50th birthday in 1994. Justin and Cassie had the great pleasure of meeting and performing for Philip Glass during a production of his opera Galileo Galilei in 2015. The two etudes being performed today were arranged by Blue Line Duo as a tribute to this pillar of American music.
Dance of Water was composed in the Fall of 2020 for Luke Allred and Stephanie Gimenez, students of mine at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The desire was to compose a rhythmically challenging multiple-percussion duet with a small, but impactful setup of instruments. The idea of the piece came from the sound of a dripping faucet. This particular faucet had two different drips, which caused an irregular, yet mesmerizing, rhythmic pattern that increased in intensity as the drips got faster. Throughout the piece, you will hear each player perform multiple patterns that increase in rhythmic intensity as the piece progresses, move through several time signatures, and eventually come together in the end.
Catching Shadows is a marimba duet commissioned by Michael Burritt. About this piece, Ivan writes, "Michael Burritt and I have become good friends and collaborators over the years, and on a recent road trip to a gig, he said 'I'm in charge of the tunes!' Honestly, I didn't know what to expect! He plugged in his iPod, and the frst thing to play: Radiohead, then Dave Matthews, then Earth, Wind & Fire. That's when I discovered something cool about Mike: he's as much rock musician as classical musician. It just so happens he plays marimba. Sometimes, I feel the same way. With Catching Shadows, I thought about our road trip and decided to write a rock tune inspired by Mike's playlist.”